Serious Threat Now Hits Android, and a SB

Howdy folks.

I have mixed emotions about this recent news item. PC Porn Ransomware Comes to Android

“A new strain of Android malware is posing as a premium porn-viewing tool. Once loaded, this ransomware displays a screen claiming that the user has violated laws and the device has been encrypted pending an untraceable payment. Is your Android really locked?” Read more..

On one side of the coin, I’m glad for the article because too many people simply do not understand the risks, or even know there are “mobile threats’ (and malware). On the other side of the coin.. you play with fire..

And of course, there’s always Iran: Anatomy Of The New Iranian APT

“A newly unearthed attack campaign out of Iran targeting US defense contractors and Iranian dissidents confirms that Iran has expanded its cyberoffense capability and strategy far beyond its signature politically themed website defacements — into a full-blown cyber espionage operation.” Read more..

Interesting times.

Today’s Pretty Picture:

Click on image to see more by this artist

Today’s quote: “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” ~ Lou Holtz

Today’s free idea: Have you been sitting and looking at your screen for longer than 20 minutes? Stop it. Stand up stretch! Better yet, get outdoors, take a walk. Get your body moving! Then come back and feed your addiction (screen staring). Doing too much sitting can kill you, you know.

Copyright 2007-2014 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
And please, never forget – one person can make a difference.
Find a way to make someone’s day today.
(Best advice I ever heard? Don’t sweat the small stuff.)

New Rogue Uses Fake PC Magazine Review

Yesterday, the good folks at BleepingComputer posted removal instructions for a rogue antivirus (please see, Internet Plague – Rogue Antivirus) that is demonstrating a new behavior…

Quote: “Anti-virus-1 is a new rogue anti-spyware program from the same family as Antivirus 2010 and Antivirus 360. This program is promoted primarily through two methods. The first is through the use of advertisements that pretend to be online anti-malware scanners. These advertisements go through what appears to be a scan of your machine and then when finished, state that your computer is infected and that you should download Anti-virus-1 to protect yourself.

Remember, though, that this is just an advertisement and it has no way of knowing what is running on your computer. The second method that is used to promote this rogue is through the use of Trojans. When certain Trojans are installed on your computer they will display security alerts stating that your computer is infected or that you have some other security risk. When you click on these alerts, it will download and install Anti-virus-1 onto your computer…”

But that is not the new part, the new behavior adds entries to your HOSTS file so that if you go to any of a number of technology sites, including pcmag.com, you are instead brought to their site and are shown the malware author’s content. This content includes a doctored PCMag review of their fake anti-malware product.

For more on the story, click here.
And for removal instructions, click here.

A big tip of my geek hat to BleepingComputer.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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